


Redamancy

by orphan_account



Series: the beautiful and the profound (words) [9]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cliche, Concussions, Cute, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Insecurities, M/M, basketball captain!tyler, cheerleader!josh, jock!tyler, mark is a mascot lmao, reassurance, sleepy josh, some tears, tyler loves josh so much bless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 13:38:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10922898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: (n.) the act of loving the one who loves you; a love returned in full.Tyler's the basketball captain, Josh is a cheerleader...But they're not a cliché, they promise!





	Redamancy

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this for literal months sorry it took so long to final finish it!!

Sometimes Tyler wondered if he _really_ enjoyed being captain of the basketball team. The authority made him stressed, his own competitiveness coercing him to push his team harder than he wanted. The constant eyes on his back through the corridors another reason to shrink further in on himself.

He told himself it payed off in the rush he got as the ball dropped neatly through the net, as the final buzzer sounded and they won by twenty points, by _five_ , by _one_ it didn't matter, he always won, losing just wasn't in his blood.

But if Tyler wanted to be truly honest, there was another reason he even bothered to turn up to half of the games. A certain curly-haired brunette, whose smile was all teeth as he practically threw a thin barely 5ft girl up into the air, catching her expertly before he executed his own perfect backflip. The stands behind where Tyler sat went wild as the boy and his teammates landed kick-flips and risky stunts, all smiles. A perfect unit of moving bodies as they pushed themselves hard, still smiling extra wide.

Tyler's eyes never left the boy, noting the small beads of sweat on his forehead, the way his forehead crinkled slightly as he concentrated on not dropping his teammates. The strong flex of his biceps; his lean torso was made more obvious by the tightness of his uniform. The way he blew out a big breath right before he threw himself backward in a beautifully arched flip. Tyler studied him like an art student might study a Michelangelo, he was cut from stone, a God and it made Tyler shiver.

As the cheer routine finished, all of the co-ed team filtered back to the side-lines, the girls picking up their blue and white poms and shaking them excitedly, still smiling widely, bouncing around as though they weren't physically exhausted. Tyler watched the brunette pass his teams bench, the pair holding eye contact as the brunette clapped for him, as if to say "all for you". Tyler blushed before realising he needed to lead his team huddle, he motivated his team before they all headed back onto the court, renewed, ready to win.

The brunette bit his tongue into a brilliant blushing smile and Tyler's heart fluttered. He pretended to catch a kiss the brunette and one of the female cheerleaders stood beside him blew at him in sync, jokingly pretending to shoot it into a basket. Okay so maybe he didn't hate basketball after all, not if he got to see Josh Dun at every game. Not if he got to make Josh Dun whoop and cheer louder than the rest of his squad as he was handed yet another trophy.

The frat house was already filled with drunk students when Josh and his friends arrived. Josh had only joined the cheer squad because he thought it was a good excuse to eye-up cute jocks, that and he'd always been able to boast sick back flipping ability and this way he got to do it without being drunk and risking embarrassment. Plus, he pushed himself out of the bubble his anxiety had sealed him into, forcing himself to make new friends. Friends like Brendon and Jenna and Mark, the college mascot.

The four of them all piled into the frat house, immediately separated by the swarm of drunken people, Jenna dragging Mark to find some of the other girls, Brendon forcing Josh to drink from a plastic cup placed in his hand.

Josh doesn't really know how he lost Brendon after that but he wasn't surprised, it happened at most parties. And just like a lot of recent parties, Tyler Joseph was suddenly handing him a bottle of something and leaning beside him in the garden. Watching as drunken girls were thrown in to the pool by even more drunk boys.

This was routine, Tyler always found Josh and the thought of Tyler waiting for him to show up made his hands shake and his breath stutter. They'd spent their first drunken adventure together lying on the grass outside Josh's halls staring at the sky and talking about everything, being more open than ever.

Now that Josh thought about it, that was very every-romance-ever of them.

"Are we a cliché?" He asked after a swig of alcohol burned its way down his throat.

"Come on," Tyler scoffed. "Everyone knows clichés are for straight people."

"What makes you think I'm not straight?" Josh tried to keep a serious expression but it quickly melted as Tyler's eyes met his own. They both laughed hard.

"Yeah i couldn't even pretend for that one." Josh resigned as Tyler wiped a tear from his eye. "So are you gonna kiss me or do i have to do everything myself?"

Tyler froze, bottle just inches from gracing his lips, looking up at Josh before quickly recovering. "Was just trying not to be a cliché." Tyler leaned forward, smirking.

"You're an ass." Josh huffed teasingly, shuffling closer too.

"You love it. You think I'm funny." Tyler teased back, letting himself get cocky.

It was Josh's turn to scoff then.

"You wi-"

Tyler cut him off by pushing his lips onto his, Josh instantly reciprocating as one of his hands cupped Tyler's neck. Their lips worked slowly against one another, tongues exploring and their bodies pressing ever closer together. Josh felt sure he'd ascended into some higher form of existence, his heart hammering in his chest. He never wanted it to end but the need for oxygen had to win out.

\---

Josh woke up to his alarm going off, his mind hazy as he searched for his phone to switch it off. He let out a groan as he tried to wake himself up, almost startling as he felt someone roll over, slinking their arm across his middle and snuggling into his shoulder. He relaxed as soon as he realised it was Tyler, a blush forming on his face. This wasn't the first time they'd woken up in the same bed –usually Tyler's- but it was still something he was adjusting to, his whole body feeling fuzzy and tingly whenever he remembered that Tyler was cuddling him.

"I have to get up." Josh sighed, eyes droopy.

" _fivemoreminutes._ " Tyler huffed out. Josh laughed and grabbed the hand slung across him. Lazily he kissed the back of it, then began trailing kisses up Tyler's arm, causing him to hum contently. When he reached his shoulder however he blew a raspberry into the crook of his neck causing Tyler to let out a less than manly squeal, pushing him off. Both of them laughing. Tyler finally opened his eyes much more awake.

"You're so gross dude." He teased, pulling at a tuft of curls on the top of Josh's head. Josh kissed his arm again as it was in front of his face before finally pushing himself out of bed, still half asleep.

"I'll see you after my practice okay?" He said as he finished throwing on his shoes and shirt, he grabbed the hoodie off the floor next to his backpack and leant over to kiss Tyler on the nose.

"Text me every five minutes." Tyler said, wrapping his arms around Josh's neck so he couldn't move away, pecking him on the lips. "I wanna know all about your day." He laughed, rubbing their noses together.

"You're ridiculous." Josh huffed out a laugh. "I promise, now let me go I need coffee before class." Tyler smiled kissing him sweetly before letting him go, trying to hold his hand for as long as possible, still reaching out for him even after Josh's hand had slipped away. Josh threw on his hoodie as he left the room and Tyler smiled widely before rolling over and going back to sleep.

Josh was still half asleep as he queued at the Starbucks just on the edge of campus. He stood hands stuffed into the front of his hoodie pocket clinging to the exact amount of change for his usual coffee order. He nuzzled sleepily into the collar of his hoodie, the morning was colder than he'd expected but his hoodie felt warmer than usual, it smelt amazing where his nose pressed into the soft material. He wasn't quite sure why it smelt so great.

He was too tired to acknowledge the odd look two girls behind him were giving him until he felt someone step up beside him and caught a glimpse at them as he turned to the approaching stranger.

"So when was the wedding?" Brendon teased and Josh looked at him utterly baffled, only blinking tiredly at him and shuffling forward as the queue moved. "dude, last time i checked your surname was not Joseph?"

Josh blinked again, what was Brendon even on about, of course he didn't have Tyler's surname.

"I hope you're buying a large coffee man, you're so out of it, did you even mean to put Tyler's hoodie on this morning?"

Josh flushed bright red as his sleep deprived brain finally fit the pieces together to realise that was why the hoodie felt softer and warmer and why it smelled so good. Josh laughed at his own stupidity, giddily and to himself, burying his nose back into the hoodie, smiling fondly as he finally acknowledged how Tyler smelt so much like home.

"Oh boy, you are so whipped." Brendon sighed dramatically, laughing as Josh attempted to shove him, but with no real force on account of being so damn sleepy. "You're so soft before your morning coffee."

"Tyler never complains." Josh mumbles into the hoodie collar pulled over his nose as he fiddles with the strings with the hand holding his cash.

"I bet he doesn't." Brendon's eyebrows are half way up his forehead as he wiggles them.

Josh swats at him again before dropping hoodie from his face and stepping up to order his coffee.

Josh had just finished up cheer practice. It was held in the gym right before basketball, seeing as cheerleading is a society and not compulsory like basketball is for the scholarship holders like Tyler.

They're just finished putting all the mats away as the team begins filing onto the court is sporadic clumps of boys.

Tyler finds Josh immediately as is always the way, while he's pulling the hoodie on.

"Hey stranger." Tyler teases but his smile drops when he sees the panic that briefly flashes over Josh's sheepish expression.

"Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, just please don't be mad?" Tyler immediately starts thinking the worst, his brow furrowed and Josh shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. "I kinda spilt coffee on your hoodie... i didn't mean to, a freshman knocked me and i spilled some and i feel awful because i know you think coffee is like dirt water and you hate the smell but I'll wash it and you'll never even know." It all came out in a big rushed mess his ears tinging pink.

"Josh, baby, breathe okay?" Tyler instantly relaxed, placing his hands on Josh's shoulder giving a gentle squeeze. "It's just coffee, you can't even see it? It washes out i can't believe you thought I'd be mad?" Tyler tried not to seem offended.

"You're not?" Josh looked up at Tyler through his lashes, the sight so adorable that Tyler's heart fluttered in his chest.

Tyler grinned, "! mean, gosh dammit Josh now its ruined i don't even want it back now you're just gonna have to keep it i guess." he sighed over-dramatically.

Tyler's heart practically leapt out of his chest at the excited puppy expression Josh's face turned into as he processed what Tyler was saying, practically knocking Tyler over as he hugged him, Tyler laughed.

"You're such a dork." He said fondly running a hand over Josh's soft curls. Josh pulled away to kiss him, ignoring the cheers from some of the basketball team and Brendon who was waiting for Josh.

"I wish i could stay and watch but i have a class in twenty."

"Can i see you later then?"

"Tyler, you saw me this morning."

"I know jus' miss you though." he said pouting and playing with the strings on his hoodie that Josh was wearing.

"Come by my apartment later then?" Josh smiled, kissing Tyler one more time before heading out of the gym with Brendon.

Tyler stood outside the apartment Josh shared with Brendon, Jenna, Mark and another girl called Hayley who often dubbed herself the "token non-cheerleader friend". It was just off campus, only about ten minutes from the frat house that the basketballers all chose to occupy.

Hayley opened the front door, smiling when she noticed Tyler standing there.

"He's been wearing your hoodie all day." Was all she said before stepping away from the door and disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Tyler to enter the apartment.

Without needing to be told Tyler headed further inside, towards Josh's bedroom door. He knocked before letting himself into the room.

"Hey." Josh said with a smile as he looked up at his boyfriend. Tyler immediately flopped down on top of where he was lying, reading something for one of his classes. He let out a soft "ooft" sound.

"Hi." Tyler smiled as he rested his chin on Josh's shoulder.

Josh attempted to roll over and Tyler lifted himself up with his arms so he was still on top of Josh as they kissed.

They were interrupted before the kiss could get heated by Brendon walking into the room. He yelped covering his eyes.

"Are you decent?! My pure Christian eyes have been tainted!" He said over dramatically and Josh simply rolled his eyes and Tyler buried his face into his shoulder.

"Bren, your parents are Mormons and there's nothing pure about you." Josh supplied and Brendon lowered his hands to reveal his exaggerated pout.

"Anyways I was wondering if you have any spare muscle tape for the comp on Sunday," he flexed his shoulder with a wince, "my shoulder's still playing up from when I almost dropped Debby last week."

Tyler rolled off Josh as he stood up looking for his gym bag, he ruffled through finding finger tape and a knee brace and some deep heat cream but no muscle tape.

"Sorry dude, ever since I got the brace I haven't needed to tape up, I must've run out."

"Nah, it's cool I'm gonna go shopping with Hales now anyway, need me to pick some up for you too or you good?"

"Actually," Josh stretched his back as he stood up, wincing and trying to massage his lower back, "I might need some, can you get me some more red bull as well?" Brendon nodded about to leave but then he couldn't resist making one more smart remark on his way out.

"Ya know, I don't think tape is gonna do much for your back troubles given they're probably caused by Tyler's dick." He winked at the pair before running off.

"Brendon!" Josh shouted about to chase after him but Tyler laughed and reached out for his hand, tugging him back onto the bed.

"You're cute when you're flustered." Tyler laughed kissing Josh and pushing him until he was lay on the bed underneath him again. "Also you literally bought a giant pack of red bull like 3 days ago." He raised his eyebrow.

Josh scoffed, "yeah, and you drank most of it already! That was supposed to get me through mid-terms."

"You eat all my Cinnamon Toast Crunch I think it's only fair." Tyler said before proceeding to instigate a tickle fight with the cheerleader. The tickling turning to kissing and the kissing turning to something more.

Tyler ran his hand through Josh's soft curls as they tried to calm down from their highs. Panting hard.

"Why didn't you tell me about your competition on Sunday?" Tyler finally broke the silence. Josh looked over at him sheepishly. "Did you not want me to come? Did I do something wrong?"

Josh was quick to shake his head shifting to look up at Tyler better, his hand resting on Tyler's chest. "No, of course not! I just-" he sighed trying to find the right words. "I thought that you'd probably think it was lame or something."

"You're an idiot, my _perfect loveable_ idiot, but an idiot." Tyler said pulling Josh in for a kiss. "I would never think that, Josh, you literally support me for every game I play why on earth wouldn't I want to repay the favour and come support you?"

"S-so you do wanna come?" Josh said eyes hopeful and wide and Tyler kissed him again because he was so precious Tyler couldn't bare it.

"I'm gonna wear my Captain's jersey and everything." Tyler smiled and Josh almost squealed with joy, kissing Tyler for probably the hundredth time that day.

\---

Tyler stood beside Mark on the sidelines of the competition floor, he was wearing his basketball jersey with his usual black skinny jeans and grey vans. He'd even let Jenna and another girl put black and blue war stripes on his cheeks, although he was starting to regret it after the need to scratch his face seemed to set in. He beamed with pride while Mark jumped up and down in the giant mascot suit, flailing his furry hands about. Tyler tried not to laugh when Mark nearly whacked a cheerleader who was walking past him to get to backstage.

But then his attention was snapping to the mats as Josh ran onto them with the rest of his team, smiling and waving before taking their first positions. All fell silent in the arena before the pop music blasted out of the speakers and the cheerleaders began moving as a unit, kicks and flips happening left right and centre, but Tyler kept his eyes on Josh the whole time. They hit every stunt with precision, and Tyler might have screamed louder than their coach, shaking Mark aggressively enough that he had to use his free arm to keep the giant head of his costume on.

They got to their final stunt, the pyramid, all of them in the centre of the mat, flyers swinging one another over in flips. Tyler held his breath as Jenna was thrown in the air and caught at an angle. Her feet crashing down on Josh's head, but they seemed to recover and push her back up into the air for the big finish. Tyler cheered along with the crowd as the music stopped.

The flyers were let down and then the team proceeded to run backstage, squealing with joy at such a perfect execution, a few of them crying with pure happiness, completely overwhelmed.

Tyler tried to navigate his way past swinging ponytails, peering over the giant blue and white bows to try to find his boyfriend. He was worried however when he found him hunched over, head in his hands, Jenna stood over him, crying but it didn't appear from happiness or relief like the others. Brendon was crouched in front of him, trying to talk to him.

"What's happened?" Tyler said, Josh peeking out of his position to see Tyler, immediately reaching out to hold his hand in a vice like grip.

"It's all my fault I over-rotated and I landed wrong and I hit him in the head and now he might have concussion, Josh I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry." She cried and Brendon stood up pulling her into a hug to soothe her sobs.

"Did someone get a first aider?" Tyler asked before crouching down to wrap his boyfriend in a hug.

Brendon explained that he had already sent someone called Dallon to get one, and then Josh was grappling at Tyler's arms to try and pull himself up to stand.

Tyler helped him stand, holding onto him tightly.

"You did so good, you were amazing, I'm so proud of you." Tyler whispered in his ear, knowing the praise was reassuring. Josh nodded slightly trying to smile at his boyfriend and thank him.

A paramedic approached with a tall boy behind him that Tyler assumed must be Dallon. Josh took an independent step towards them both but then he was falling backwards, the whole room spinning, Tyler caught him under his elbows but struggled to keep him upright, lowering him to the floor as his eyes fluttered shut. He barely heard the terrified calls of his friends.

When Josh woke up his head felt like it had been bashed in with a hammer, repeatedly. He winced as everything came into focus too quickly, the bright white of the hospital room offensive to his eyes. He whimpered at the effort of movement before there was a soothing hand stroking his hair.

"Hey there buddy." Brendon smiled as Josh's eyes finally fluttered open. He took in the people crowding around his bed, Jenna was still sniffling into Dallon's shoulder, Mark had lost the mascot costume but he was still sweat stained in the clothes he wore inside the suit, Brendon stood beside him. But the person gently carding a hand through his hair was the most important, Tyler smiled weakly down at him as their eyes met.

"We won." Dallon says in an attempt to make Josh feel better, and Josh smiles

Just then a nurse comes in, pleasantly surprised to see he's awake. "Okay, only one of you can stay while the doctor is in here." She says with a sympathetic look.

Everyone looked to Tyler before giving Josh weak smiles, heading out of the room.

"Jenna." Josh's voice was hoarse but she heard him and immediately rushed to his side, shaking. He took her hand.

"It's not your fault, it happens all the time and if you really won't believe me then, I forgive you." Josh forced a smile and tried not to wince when Jenna hugged him tightly.

She smiled as she pulled away, kissing Josh on the cheek before leaving just as the doctor entered.

"Joshua?" He checked and both boys nodded. Tyler finally stopping his ministrations to take a step back so the doctor could check Josh over. "You have a concussion, we've checked you over while you were unconscious and it seems you fainted more because of physical exertion than the head trauma so you can go home today but you can't cheer until you're cleared by a PT." Josh nods, he feels his whole body sag. "You'll need plenty of rest and water and I've prescribed pain meds for the headache."

"Thank you." Is all he can manage, and as soon as the doctor leaves he finds his cheeks are wet with tears and Tyler is climbing into the hospital bed and cradling him and rocking him back and forth.

\---

Josh doesn't leave his apartment for over a week afterwards, mainly sleeping, occasionally he tries to study but it usually ends with him doubled over on the bed and Tyler has to snatch the book away and force him to lie back down. Brendon and Jenna share his classes so they bring him copies of their notes. When Tyler is at practice or class he's worried about Josh, it's all he thinks about, that Josh is hurting and he can't make it go away.

Josh visits the physiotherapist every week and every time she tells him he needs to give it more time with a sympathetic smile. All he does his sleep and cry because his head hurts so bad, he feels lost.

He misses a comp and two games, he doesn't go to the games, he wants to but it's too loud, his head can't take it. So he sits in his room and cries and gets angry because there's so much pressure on his skull that he can't even concentrate on doing something to distract himself from how absolutely shitty he feels. He goes to the comp, to show he is committed to his team, to support his friends and when they win he smiles and cheers but inside he feels wrong. There's a voice that's started reminding him how his team clearly doesn't rely on him, he's replaceable, they already put their reserve in his spot. Then he looks at some of the other jocks who have come down to support, sees them spinning their cheerleader girlfriends around and he remembers how cliché his relationship with Tyler is. Remembers how the only reason Tyler learnt his name was because he'd been staring at him from the sidelines for two years until one day Tyler finally seemed to notice.

He doesn't go to see his physio for two weeks, he can't take another sad shake of her head, he can't take not being allowed back on the mats, its been nearly two months he's so out of shape, he knows he won't be able to catch up if he's not better soon.

Feeling better Tyler takes Josh to a party, because it's a friday what better excuse does a frat need to throw a rager. Josh hasn't left the house in a while and Tyler knows he needs this to help distract him from wherever he's disappearing inside his own head.

" _loveyou._ " Josh says between sloppy drunk kisses and Tyler's heart stutters because Josh has never said those words to him before and now he's worried that Josh is even more drunk that he thought.

Josh pulls him down onto his own bed, wriggling and desperately trying to take his clothes off, but Tyler tries to slow him down.

"Josh." He tries to say but he's cut off by more wet sloppy kisses, that move down his neck and make him moan, fingers twitching in Josh's soft curls. "Baby, stop." He says breathless, wanting nothing more than to ask him never to stop instead. "Josh." He says louder when Josh doesn't pull away, using the hand in Josh's hair to pry his lips from Tyler's neck. They're both panting. "I think we should go to sleep." He says.

Josh looks hurt, pushing Tyler off himself and immediately searching for his clothes.

"Josh, please don't be mad. I just think you're too drunk i don't want to do something you'll regret and more importantly i'm still worried about your head." He says wrapping his arms around Josh's waist, peppering his shoulders with kisses.

Josh trembles as he begs the tears in his eyes to go away, he's done enough crying for his whole lifetime these past two months and he hates it.

"No, no no baby don't cry." Tyler says frantically when he hears the small sniffle, he turns Josh around so he can rest their foreheads together. "Josh, what's wrong?" He asks softly.

"Y-you don't want me anymore." Josh's chest aches with every breath as he speaks and he can't stop the tears that overflow like a dam with a crack in it.

Tyler stares at him in shock, like he's grown a second head and Josh feels even more self-conscious for speaking in the first place.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"I-I mean you don't want to be with me and i don't blame you because y-you could have any cheerleader you want, i mean any girl really and probably some of the boys too a-and i don't know why you chose me." He sobs more and Tyler instinctively pulls him into a hug.

"Josh, you're drunk you don't know what you're saying." Tyler replies smoothing his fingers through his hair.

"No, Ty, you're not listening to me" Josh's head snaps up to look at him, a frustrated expression on his face. "I'm not a cheerleader anymore and-and you're gonna not want me anymore cos I'm defective."

"Will you shut up, don't ever call yourself defective again okay?" Tyler practically snaps back, he can't help how defensive he gets when someone talks bad about his boyfriend especially when it's the boyfriend in question himself. "Josh," he says more calmly using the pads of his thumbs to wipe Josh's tears from his cheeks. "I'm not with you 'cos you're a cheerleader, i thought we were joking about all that cliché stuff, i like you cos you're you dumbass."

Josh shakes his head, fingers curling into Tyler's t-shirt but before he can protest Tyler is speaking up again.

"Do you really think I would've stayed with you, through the doctor's appointments, spent time helping you do essays because your head hurt too much, if I only cared that you were on the cheer squad?" His eyes search Josh's in the moonlight thats cast a small glow in the otherwise dark room. Trying desperately to hide the hurt and disgust in his tone. "Actually, I'm kinda offended that that's what you seem to think of me?"

" _No,_ " Josh immediately replies because he loves Tyler he just can't seem to get him to understand why he feels this way. "It's not-not like that Tyler. It's j-just you're so amazing and perfect and why would you settle for stupid me in the first place especially now I'm really not special anymore?"

Tyler pulls his chin up so their foreheads are pressed together once again before he speaks clearly and firmly, to get his point across.

"You're so special Josh, not because you're a cheerleader either but because you're smart and funny, not to mention the most attractive man i've ever seen and the goddamn nicest person I have ever met in my life. I literally watched you compliment people who were making fun of you like it was nothing. I don't know many people with the same level of compassion in their whole bodies that you possess in just your pinky finger. I love you for that, I love _you_."

Tyler bites his lip at the complete look of awe on Josh's face before Josh is crying even harder and hugging him close and Tyler laughs a little with relief.

_"I love you so much."_

He emphasises and Josh pulls back to kiss him, a little snotty and gross but Tyler doesn't care because as they pull apart Josh is saying,

_"I love you."_

Before drunk crying some more and Tyler chuckles and wipes his face with a tissue he finds in his drawer. He pulls Josh to lay down on top of him and kisses his forehead while he whispers sweet praises into Josh's hair until his sobs become sniffles that become soft snores.

The next morning, they're both a little hungover but they cope. Tyler forces Josh into his basketball hoodie and gets him to down some water before he's pulling Josh out the house and making him see the PT. 

He knows Josh doesn't want to go but Tyler just squeezes his hand and kisses his knuckles while he waits to be called in. 

Josh goes in alone so Tyler wastes time by changing all his profile pics on social media from his current one from a year ago that has Jenna and another girl called Sarah in their full cheer uniforms either side so they're each kissing one of his cheeks. He thought the picture was funny at the time, a celebration that he had just won a basketball game but also because he look like such a stereotype that everyone who knew him thought it was hilarious. Now however, it's this same grainy black and white picture, taken in low light so the quality is poor, just how Tyler likes it. You can only see the right half his face, the main focus is Josh asleep in the crook of his neck, mouth open ever so slightly. He smiles to himself before setting his header to a picture of a paving slab with graffiti that reads "streets that never sleep" that Josh had found and text Tyler with the caption "Stay Street." Almost instantly his basketball group-chat began roasting him for being "whipped af" but he just sent quick jibes back about how they were all just jealous that, unlike them, he wasn't completely romantically challenged. He stopped reading the chat when memes started being sent, instead replying to his sister's grilling about who the guy in his picture was and why he hadn't told her about him and when was he bringing him home for their mom to meet. He kept his replies simple; 

_His name is Josh,_

_im telling you now,_

_when i'm sure nothing mom can say will make him run for the hills._

When Josh emerges from the room his face seems conflicted and Tyler thinks it's another 'no' and that he's probably made everything worse. But then Josh is crying and hugging him and Tyler stops beating himself up to focus on his boyfriend.

"What did she say?" He asks carefully.

"S-she said i can go back to training on Monday." Josh says but the words still don't seem real, they feel like they don't belong coming out of his mouth. Tyler's smile practically splits his face in half and Josh can't help but mirror it as a few more tears slip from his eyes. 

"That's amazing baby!" Tyler says, throwing an arm around his shoulders and guiding him out of the building and towards a Starbucks so he can buy Josh a coffee in celebration. 

They're just leaving Starbucks when Josh checks his phone, he'd been so excited he almost forgot to message his friends the good news. He sees the facebook notification and he sees the words "Tyler Joseph has sent you a relationship request" and before he even has time to choke on his coffee he notices the new profile picture he didn't even know Tyler had taken. 

"What's wrong?" Tyler asks concerned when Josh stops walking abruptly. 

Blinking at his phone screen, he clicks 'accept' on the request before finally looking up at Tyler. "You love me." He says, getting all weepy again, his eyes filling with tears. 

"Of course I do." Tyler smiles walking over to him. "Josh, are you crying?" He lets out a laugh as he watches Josh pout and wipe his eyes with the back of his fist. 

"No, I'm just really hungover." He tries to snap but it just sounds weak and watery. 

"C'mere you big baby." Tyler huffs out a small laugh pulling his head into the crook of his neck, rubbing the back of his hair. "I love you." He says simply and Josh nods and mumbles a small "love you more" into his shoulder. 

They're sitting on a campus bench to drink their Starbucks when Josh changes his own facebook picture to one of him and Tyler that Jenna took when they'd all gone to the mall a few weeks ago. It's from behind so you can see Tyler's surname and jersey number in big clear black letters on the grey hoodie Josh is wearing while they hold hands and look at each other, laughing at whatever Tyler was probably telling an elaborate story about. He sets his header as a picture of him, Jenna and Brendon in their cheer uniforms, Brendon in the middle with Josh, Jenna hugging onto a casually dressed Hayley on his other side. While Tyler stands between Josh and Mark (in full mascot costume) with his tongue poking out, in his bright blue Varsity jacket. Tyler's his first like on both of them and Josh smiles at him over his coffee cup and in that moment, when Josh is saying, 

_"Hey, i think your sister just sent me a friend request."_

Tyler knows that he's taking Josh home to meet his mom this summer, and hopefully every holiday and break after that too. 

\---

Josh's first practice isn't great. His muscles are too stiff, so his flips are off, and he falls on his butt more than once. They make him wear this ugly foam helmet as a precaution and everyone looks at him wearily, he feels like a dog with a cone, he feels ridiculous. The worst part is when they practice the stunts, Jenna is all over the place, and they almost drop her a few times and she literally knocks down Sarah and their other base Lucy.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asks as she pulls Jenna up off the floor. 

"I'm fine, sorry guys." She says and she gets back in position to go again before the coach can yell at them. Needless to say they drop her again and she almost lands face down on the mat if Josh hadn't caught her first. 

"You're leaning forward too much." Sarah says brow furrowed as they stand in prep positions again. 

"You're throwing yourself forward when you fall as well." Lucy comments and Jenna gives a short nod. 

"It's fine, sorry." Jenna says and she gets ready to be lifted again but Josh interrupts. 

"You're not gonna hit me again." He says firmly because she's his best friend after Tyler and Brendon and he knows how she still hasn't fully forgiven herself. "Trust me, you're more likely to hit me if you're throwing yourself off than if you just do it properly." 

Jenna doesn't look at him, only takes a shaky breath and guides his hands to her hips ready to lift her up. She's shaking once she's up. She does the first few positions, switching from a leg hold to right scorp, trying to hold her strong smile as the coach looks over at her. They're about to throw her up into her flip but instead she comes down early, her shaking legs giving out but Josh catches her easily. 

"Don't cry." Josh says gently patting her on the back as she wipes her eyes subtly taking a deep breath and going again. 

She drops before the flip on all three of the next attempts. 

"You got this, you're not gonna hit me, stop holding yourself back." Josh reminds her and she nods.

This time they don't drop her, she's still shaky and for a second she almost drops but she pushes legs straight and keeps going. When she comes down everyone claps and she blushes bright red and sniffs before letting Josh hug her. 

"Good job guys!" Their coach smiles. 

_It was all going to be okay._

**Author's Note:**

> mArK iS a FuRrY cOnFiRmEd!!1!1! 


End file.
